SIR,
Almighty God having made you the instrument, of that deliverance and peace, which in the County of Essex, we do enjoy, next to his own goodness, the remembrance thereof is due to your name. Those who honor him, he will honor, and those who despise him shall be lightly esteemed (1 Samuel 2:30). Part of these ensuing sermons, being preached before your Excellency, and now by providence called forth to public view, I am emboldened to dedicate them to your name, as a small mite of that abundant thankfulness, wherein all peace-loving men of this County stand obliged to you.
It was the custom of former days, in the provinces of the Roman Empire, to erect statues and monuments of grateful remembrance, to those presidents and governors, who in the administration of their authority, behaved themselves, with wisdom, courage, and fidelity. Yes, instruments of great deliverances and blessings, through corrupted nature's folly, became the pagans' deities.
There is scarce a county in this kingdom wherein, and not one from which, your Excellency has not deserved a more lasting monument, than ever was erected of Corinthian brass. But if the Lord be pleased, that your worth shall dwell only in the praises of his people, it will be your greater glory, that being the place, which himself has chosen to inhabit. Now for a testification of this, is this only intended; beyond this, towards men, God pleading for you, you need nothing but our silence. The issue of the last engagements, whereunto you were called, and enforced, answering, yes, outgoing your former undertakings, giving ample testimony of the continuance of God's presence, with you, in your army, having stopped the mouths of many gainsayers, and called to the residue in the language of the dumb speaking Egyptian hieroglyphic [in non-Latin alphabet], men of all sorts know, that God hates impudence.
It was said of the Romans in the raising of their empire, that they were, *saepe praelio victi, bello nunquam*; so naked has the bow of God been made for your assistance, that you have failed neither in battle nor war.
Truly had not our eyes beheld the rise, and fall, of this latter storm, we could not have been persuaded that the former achievements of the army under your conduct, could have been paralleled. But he who always enabled them to outdo not only others, but themselves, has in this carried them out, to outdo, whatever before himself had done by them, that they might show more kindness and faithfulness, in the latter end, than in the beginning. The weary ox treads hard. Dying bites are often desperate. Half-ruined Carthage did more perplex Rome, than when it was entire. Hydra's heads (in the fable) were increased by their loss; and every new stroke begot a new opposition. Such seemed the late tumultuous action of the exasperated party in this nation.
In the many undertakings of the enemy, all which themselves thought secure, and others esteemed probable, if they had prevailed in any one, too many reasons present themselves, to persuade, they would have done so in all. But to none of those worthies, which went out under your command, to several places in the kingdom, can you say with Augustus to Varus, upon the slaughter of his legions by Arminius in Germany, *Quintili Vare redde Legiones*, God having carried them all on with success and victory.
One especially in his northern expedition, I cannot pass over with silence, who although he will not, dare not say of his undertakings, as Caesar of his Asian war, *veni, vidi, vici*, knowing who works all his works for him, nor shall we say of the enemies' multitude, what Captain Gam did of the French, being sent to spy out their numbers, before the battle of Agincourt, that there were of them, enough to kill, and enough to take, and enough to run away, yet of him, and them, both he, and we, may freely say, it is nothing with the Lord to help, either with many, or with them that have no power.
The war being divided, and it being impossible your Excellency should be in every place of danger; according to your desire, the Lord was pleased to call you out personally to two, of the most hazardous, dangerous, and difficult undertakings: where besides the travail, labor, watching, heat and cold, by day and night, whereunto you were exposed, even the life of the meanest soldier in your army was not in more imminent danger, than oftentimes was your own. And indeed during your abode at the league among us, in this only were our thoughts burdened with you, that self-preservation was of no more weight in your counsels and undertakings. And I beseech you pardon my boldness, in laying before you this expostulation of many thousands, (if we may say to him, who has saved a kingdom, what was sometimes said to a king) know you not that you are worth ten thousands of us, why should you quench such a light in Israel?
